Four Factors To Learning A New Skill

​There are many times in life when a person may say ‘I wish I could do that.’ There are times where you will read an article, or have a conversation with somebody, and be inspired to make some changes in your life. Developing or learning a new skill can be daunting, but it is important to remember that it can be done at any age, and regardless of any ability. ​​

PreparationDeciding what skill or pastime to pursue will take some time in terms of setting a plan into place. If you have a full-time job, or family and children to think about, it may seem trickier and feel far-fetched to simply ditch everything to pick up a new pastime. The more preparation and planning that you do, the easier it will be. Fixing a set time within your routine will ensure that you are more disciplined about pursuing your goal and will more likely stick to it. If you are thinking of pursuing a more advanced specialized skill, such as learning to fly, it could be easier than first imagined. Doing your research on private pilot requirements and spending the time finding the best solution for you will make that goal seem that much more achievable. No matter the skill you may wish to learn, doing your research is a great way to get started. If you’re planning on learning a new instrument, is there a local music tutor near you who is available and suits your schedule?

Practice Practice goes hand in hand with perseverance. You cannot hope to develop and master a skill, no matter what it is if you do not practice enough. If it is a craft, for example, such as pottery, only practice will bring understanding about the way clay works, and get to grips with the tools you use. A new sport is similar. By building your strength up and putting in the hours to practice the sport, you will improve over time.

Patience Becoming impatient may be your downfall when learning a new skill. Many people are familiar with the frustrated feeling you get from not being able to crack a new skill straight away. It is at this point when it may be easy to give up, but by applying patience to the situation, and giving it time, you will see results.

PerseveranceSimilar to any tasks or goals that you face, perseverance is key. This means not giving up three weeks in when a particular task is difficult, or a certain part of the learning process confuses you. No matter what skill you have decided to learn, you will not be perfect at it overnight. Accepting this is part of the process. Once you have, you will find you are less hard on yourself and come to terms with the fact that learning something new is a process that takes time, dedication and effort. This attitude will make it all the more rewarding once you meet a particular target. If your skill involves sessions with an instructor, responding to criticism positively is essential as well. It may have been a while since you have had somebody explain something in such a way, so taking the point on board and accepting mistakes might not come naturally. It is important to remember that everybody starts somewhere.